


The Last Hope

by GreyJediArchives



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-03-06 16:26:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13415121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreyJediArchives/pseuds/GreyJediArchives
Summary: Kylo Ren and Rey struggle with their emotions after the force bond reconnects them. This picks up right after the end of The Last Jedi.





	1. Rekindled

—  
Rey  
—  
Rey bites her lip subconsciously, letting out her pent up frustrations. The dwindling resistance was not having much luck after their miracle escape from the clutches of the First Order. Not many systems are willing to stand up against the sinister dictatorship that currently reigns. After a week of traveling in the cramped Millennium Falcon from place to place, an ally finally agreed to supply ships to the resistance. Shortly after the resistance regrouped in more than one ship, it was discovered that the hyperdrive of the Millennium Falcon was suddenly malfunctioning. Rey now incessantly chews on her bottom lip, gazing at the tangled weave of wires in front of her. “You said it was the hyperdrive starter that’s acting up BB8?” BB8 responds with a series of simplified beeps, to which Rey understands as a confirmation. “Should be easy enough.” Rey mutters under her breath. Carefully winding her arm into the mess of wires, she gently extricates the starter. Whirling around, she reaches to grab the new starter, only to realize it’s no longer there. “CHEWY!!” Rey screams. “WHERE IS THE STARTER??” She begins to march down the corridor to the cockpit of the Falcon, where Chewbacca is piloting the ship. BB8 calls out from behind her, halting her progress. “You’re kidding me, right? A freaking porge? I swear we’ll never get rid of this infestation.” Rey marches back to the cubby that BB8 points at. Low and behold, a ‘cute and cuddly’ porge innocently gazes up at her, nudging the new starter part. With an irritated huff Rey snatches the part away. Reaching back into the maze of wires, she attaches the starter to the correct wires. “That should do it. You didn’t notice any other issues, did you BB8?” BB8 gives a distinct shake of his head. With a sigh, Rey rushes back to her copilot seat in the cockpit. The display shows the hyperdrive as active. “General Organa. General Organa?” Rey pages for the resistance leader. “Yes Millennium Falcon?” Comes the eager reply. The entirety of the resistance has been waiting on one malfunctioning ship. “We’re good to go. Ready to jump to light speed.” “All ships ready for light speed. On my command. Three... two... one.... jump!” Their surroundings blend into swirls of blue and white as the Falcon lurches forwards into space, hurling them to the resistance’s next destination.   
—  
Ben  
—  
Kylo paces in frustration in his chambers. Little to no progress has been made with finding the last of the resistance. As supreme leader, he feels an enormous amount of pressure and responsibility to snuff out any resistance to the powerful first order. But as Ben Solo, he’s conflicted on what to do with the resistance. After all, it’s lead by his mother and the very person that dominates his thoughts day and night, haunting his mind and his dreams. The girl. The scavenger. His equal in the light. Rey. Kylo painfully recalls the last moment he saw the girl, watching relief, regret, then pity flash across her face in a torrent of emotions. She then proceeded to cut him off with the slamming of the Millennium Falcon’s door. How he hated that ship. It was the very thing that occupied all of his father’s attention in Kylo’s childhood, and it now shelters his equal and the last of his enemies. Clenching his hand into a fist, Kylo desperately tries to shut out the memory of her pleading hazel eyes, overflowing with tears, as she begged him to not stay with the First Order. The memory finally faded, but only to be replaced by hazel eyes full of disdain. This time it wasn’t a memory. Unexpected relief flooded Kylo. With a slight frown on her perfect face, Rey remarked “I thought I broke the force bond when I shut you out.” Kylo’s eyes couldn’t help but wander downwards to her lips as he gazed at her face. “Me too.” Only moments ago, he harbored anger for the girl. But something inside him wouldn’t let him stay mad for long. “I can feel your frustration. The resistance is struggling, and soon the First Order will crush it. You could be by my side now, reigning over all of the galaxy. But you cling to your notions of right and wrong too tightly.” Rey’s eyes flash with rage, driving an invisible dagger into Kylo’s heart. He hated being the object of her loathing. “Wiping out entire planets occupied by innocent people is wrong. Killing your own father is wrong. Murdering entire villages—“ “Ok. You’ve made your point.” Kylo interjected. His face turned guarded, hiding his guilt, regret, and overwhelming yearning. He tried to close his feelings off so the girl couldn’t detect them, but when it came to her, Kylo was weak. The distinct look of confusion washed over Rey’s face as she picked up some of Kylo’s feelings he allowed to slip out. With pure curiosity, she lifted her hand, desperate to see more of his true feelings, and gently touched his cheek. At the instant their skin met, both Kylo and Rey were lurched into a vision. Kylo found himself in a beautiful grassy field, stretching as far as he could see in one direction, with waterfalls roaring in the distance. Jerking around, what he saw next stole his breath. To any unassuming bystander, it would appear to be a fairly normal scene. An attractive, happy couple sat in the grass not far away, laughing and cuddling a baby between them. Not far in the distance, a ginormous castle loomed. But since Kylo saw the vision, he knew distinctly what it meant. The planet was Naboo, where his grandparents first kindled a romance. The couple was a tall man with a scar running down his face, and a glowing woman with hazel eyes.   
—  
Rey  
—  
Rey blinked, taking in her surroundings on the Millennium Falcon and clearing her head of the vision. She immediately regretted touching Kylo’s face. In the moment, she thought it would make her hate him more, but it failed to do that. Rather, it made her see him as a human again, a lost boy trying to find his place in the universe. A single tear escaped her eyes. She wiped it away immediately, refusing to acknowledge she could possibly care for the lost boy leading the First Order. He had proclaimed she means something to him, that she wasn’t just nothing to him, but he may not still harbor those feelings after what’s ensued since. For a moment, a single moment, Rey wanted to take his outstretched hand in that thrown room. His hand was a physical manifestation of the dark side’s beckoning call. Rey was so tempted to take it, to join the dark side. Fighting by Kylo’s side had been the most exhilarating experience of her life. But the power and excitement that choice offered was quickly overshadowed by her love for her friends. Finn, Leia, and the resistance were being killed out there, and she couldn’t just turn her back on them and allow their deaths. So she turned her back on Kylo, shutting out the whispers of feelings she holds for him. Shut him out. She commanded herself. Shut. Him. Out. Breathing in, Rey concentrated on reaching out to the force. Silence was all that greeted her. That was strange... it was almost as if the force was... angry with her. Rey opened her eyes, defeated, which was immediately replaced with shock. “Luke????” A glowing, almost transparent version of Luke stood before her in her chambers. “I thought you were dead?” Luke smiled, an expression Rey thought she would never see on the lonely old hermit’s face. “I’ve become one with the force. I will always be with you now, guiding you through your struggles.” Wide hazel eyes looked up at him. She seemed to soak it all in before confronting him with her most pressing question. “How do I break the force bond with Kylo Ren?” Luke glanced down, a dark shadow of emotion passing over his face that Rey couldn’t quite discern. “You can’t. Fighting what the force wills is a dangerous thing. For reasons unknown to me, the force has connected you with my nephew. I suggest you don’t fight it. Embrace it. Use it to turn him from the dark side.” A small frown formed on Rey’s face. The idea of embracing her connection with Kylo scared her more than anything. She was afraid of what the force, and her feelings, wanted from her.


	2. The Red Thread

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red Thread of Fate, an Asian legend, ties two people together who are destined to meet. The bond the force willed between Ben and Rey is finally cemented.

—  
Ben  
—  
Kylo woke from his vision with a gasp, jerking upright in his bed. The gentle hum of the ship in light speed was all that filled the silence of space. He expected to feel some kind of horror or fear from what he had just witnessed; in fact, he wanted to be afraid of his vision. But the only emotion that stabbed Kylo’s yearning heart was loneliness. He felt intensely alone without Rey’s presence through the force bond. It was almost as if half of him was missing, and he failed to be afraid of the vision, because Kylo realized he couldn’t imagine a future without Rey by his side. He stood abruptly. Striding over to the other side of his chambers, Kylo dressed quickly. Just as he was about to step out of his chambers, a knock came at the door. It was the kernel. “Supreme Leader, you have urgent news from General Hux.” Kylo strode past him with a steely expression on. “Thank you. I will be there shortly to receive it.” Marching to the bridge of his ship, frightened faces of the First Order greeted him. Good. They should be afraid. Once in his seat on the bridge, Kylo demanded that they page him through to Hux. Hux’s annoying smirk appeared before him almost instantly. “Supreme Leader, I have wonderful news. We have located the resistance fleet, accompanied by the Millennium Falcon. I have been following them for a short time, waiting for the perfect moment to attack.” Kylo almost growled in rage. He wanted so desperately to call off Hux’s mission of finding and annihilating the resistance, but that would destroy all of his credibility as Supreme Leader. The men would not follow him. “Very well. We will divert to your location for backup. Wait for our arrival before taking action.” Kylo signaled at the technicians around him to start this process. Offense shined through on Hux’s face. He wanted the glory of victory all to himself. With an angry glower, Hux remarked “yes, Supreme Leader.” The transmission promptly cut off. Frantically realizing what was about to ensue for the resistance, Kylo barked off orders before marching out of the bridge. This was what he had worked for for so long, snuffing out any resistance to the First Order regime, yet the only thing he could think about was Rey. He had to warn her. Rushing back to his chambers, Kylo desperately tried to activate the force bond. Neither of them had any control of it before, but maybe if he willed it to happen, she would appear before him. Concentrating all his power, Kylo pictured her perfect face, her sparkling hazel eyes, her supple lips, the brown strands of her hair falling perfectly.... “Ben?” Kylo frantically opened his eyes, breathing in relief. “Rey! You have to listen to me. The resistance is in grave danger. You are in grave danger. Hux is on a mission to kill you, to avenge Snoke’s death. He has found your location and is now following closely behind the resistance fleet.” Rey’s face morphed into fear and shock. She grabbed her staff and began running. “Why are you telling me this? I thought you wanted me dead. I betrayed you.” Kylo’s expression immediately softened. “I could never harm you, Rey. We may share different beliefs, but I still care for you. And I know someday we will share a future together, by each other’s sides.” Suddenly Rey fell to the ground, dropping her staff in the process. She struggled to regain her balance. “Rey?” Kylo looked on in alarm. “What’s going on? Are you ok?” She braced herself against the wall to stand up. Rounding the corner, Rey entered the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. The lights suddenly blinked out, and Chewy lost all control of the ship. The wooky roared in frustration. “I don’t know... I think someone is hailing our ship.” Rey whispered beneath her breath. It dawned on Kylo in a split second, the blood draining from his face. “It’s Hux. He’s gone against my command.” Fear swirled in the charged atmosphere of their force bond as both of them realized what grave danger Rey was in. “Rey. Listen to me carefully. You need to hide. Take the wooky and droid and hide immediately.” Rey frantically took Chewy’s arm and dragged him from the cockpit. “C’mon BB8 we need to hide! It’s the First Order.” BB8 whipped around the corner to the loose metal slate Rey was charging towards. Kylo looked on with a suffocating dread. The wooky lifted the metal slate from the floor, lowering the droid and the girl into the small bunker beneath the floor. Chewy slipped in after them, squishing the trio together in the uncomfortable space. Dead silence followed. Kylo concentrated with everything in him to keep the force bond active, but he could feel it slipping. Rey needed him now more than ever. “Rey.” Kylo grunted. “The force bond... it’s slipping away.” Sweat beaded on his forehead. Rey gazed up at him in a deep moment of contemplation before extending her hand. Kylo knew instinctively what she meant. Removing his glove, he grasped her delicate yet powerful hand like a lifeline. The moment changed everything. It was like everything in the universe finally clicked into place. She opened her mind to let him in, and he invaded her thoughts entirely. His very presence, a passionate, emotional force, filled the emptiness that once existed inside her. The two equals of light and dark joined into one, creating a grey entity that the force willed so desperately into existence. Rey had never felt more whole. Kylo had never experienced more power. A warmth he hadn’t felt since childhood enveloped his mind. Their bond was cemented, and neither would be lonely ever again.  
—  
Rey  
—  
Rey’s blissful moment of perfect clarity she shared with her other half was interrupted too soon. A million years spent on that moment would be too soon. The dreadful sound of the Millennium Falcon’s doors sliding open interrupted her perfect moment in time. Ben’s eyes drifted away from hers, downwards, to lock on her lips. He extended his finger to press on her lips, reminding her to stay silent. It was an electrifying touch that she felt travel through her whole body. Rey no longer feared Hux and what he planned to do to her. She gazed into the brown depths of Ben’s eyes, wanting to lose herself in them entirely. They stayed that way for a small eternity and listened to the sounds of boots clanking above them and radios transmitting. It was all irrelevant now. Ben was her other half, her universe. “Rey. You need to focus. Hux will tear this ship apart until he finds you. He will find you. But I’m coming. I’ll save you. Just stall until I reach you ok?” Rey gave a small but distinct nod of her head. Ben clutched her face as if he never wanted to let go. “I have to break the connection. But I’ll be back, I promise you. I promise Rey.” Tears welled up in her eyes, but none of them fell. Rey turned his hand and kissed the inside of his palm. Those simple words held so much value to her. Rey’s family had failed to come back to her. Ben would not. An understanding flowed between them. Then he was gone. Rey had felt loneliness before. She was the queen of loneliness; she spent years on a barren desert planet. But nothing compared to what she felt now. It was as if someone had punched a hole in her chest and then ripped her heart out. She couldn’t breath, and the only thing her mind could process was getting back to Ben. It was in this moment that the slate above her opened to reveal the twisted face of General Hux.


	3. The Betrayal

—  
Ben  
—  
Ben stormed out of his chambers in a whirlwind of anger and determination. He repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists as he charged to the bridge, thinking of Hux harming Rey in any way. The mood of the bridge tensed as soon as Ben stepped foot inside. “SPEED THIS SHIP UP, DAMNIT!!” Ben roared. He visualized Hux’s hands snaking around Rey’s vulnerable neck, squeezing until she couldn’t breath. Ugly dark bruises marred her perfect skin. Ben shook with rage. He was sure his imagination wouldn’t hold a candle to seeing Hux actually harm Rey. “Five minutes until interception, Supreme Leader.” A frantic technician’s voice shattered Ben’s thoughts. “Prepare an escape pod.” He barked out as he turned to exit the bridge. “Yes, Supreme Leader.” Came the compliant reply. Ben strode to the nearest escape pod, its lights already illuminated. Sliding into the cramped space, he began firing up the engines. The process only required a few minutes, but minutes were precious when he knew Rey could be on the verge of death. “We are within range.” The crackle came from above his head in the escape pod. Ben immediately slammed the door shut and pushed the engines to full thrust. The tiny ship careened towards Hux’s massive dreadnaught. Ben was upon it in less than a minute. The Millennium Falcon sat in the clutches of the dreadnought. Almost crash landing in the ship’s bay with hastiness, Ben slipped out of the pod and charged up to the nearest stormtrooper. “Where is Hux keeping the girl?” He practically spit out. The stormtrooper took a step backwards from the ferocious Supreme Leader. Ben grew impatient with the stormtrooper’s hesitation. Invading his mind, Ben retrieved the information almost instantaneously. Cell number 1138. The young Supreme Leader bolted in that direction.  
—  
Rey  
—  
A fierce stinging gripped Rey’s wrists where the handcuffs were latched as a stormtrooper shoved her along. It was a much different experience from the last two times the First Order had taken her as a prisoner. She attempted to concentrate on the winding corridors they jerked her through, but it was practically impossible. Everything looked the same in the First Order: their ships, their shiny black perfectly cleaned floors, and their stormtroopers. It was annoying how orderly they could be. But Ben wasn’t like that. He was so out of place it was almost comical. Thinking about Ben brought a small smile to Rey’s face. It disappeared immediately when the stormtrooper shoved her in an interrogation room with General Hux himself. His face alone ignited a deep-seated anger in Rey. He was the one who killed the Republic, and all of those innocent people, with a single command. Rey struggled to contain her anger, knowing she needed to focus on getting out of here. Hux shoved her onto the slanted metal interrogation seat, fastening the metal restraints on her feet. He then proceeded to unlock the handcuffs and fasten the arm restraints. Rey tried to put up a fight, but he was surprisingly very strong. Rey’s perception of Hux as a scrawny, pale red head was shattered. He loomed over her in a vicious and intimidating manner. “I would say I feel sorry for you, being caught up in this brilliant plan of mine, but I don’t. You didn’t even kill Snoke.” Hux smirked at the shock plastered all over Rey’s face. “That’s right. I know he killed Snoke for you. It’s quite pitiful really. You show an ounce of care for him and he falls in love with you. Too bad for you... but it plays perfectly into my plan to become Supreme Leader. Now I just need to make Ren even angrier than he already is.” Raising his gloved hand high above his head, Hux whipped it around to brutally strike Rey in the face. She immediately lost consciousness.  
—  
Ben  
—  
Ben charged into cell 1138. An unconscious, battered Rey was the sole occupant. He had never felt such a surge of emotion in all his years. Hux did this to her. He caused her pain. He marred her skin. Ben pushed aside his overflowing rage to gently attempt to wake Rey. Her body remained limp and unresponsive. Slipping his arms beneath her, Ben picked her up bridal style and began to carry her through the twisted maze that was Hux’s dreadnaught. He was taking her somewhere safe. He didn’t care about the repercussions for his position as Supreme Leader. Stepping foot in the massive bay of the ship, Ben zeroed his gaze in on the nearest TIE-fighter. He almost missed the swarm of stormtroopers headed by General Hux himself in the middle of the bay. Malicious cackling filled the room. Ben’s rage for the man was almost out of control; the only thing keeping him sane was knowing he had to get Rey to safety and couldn’t blatantly attack Hux to do so. “You thought I was a fool!” Hux’s sinister voice echoed around the uncharacteristically quite ship. “I knew you killed Snoke from the minute I walked in that room. You betrayed the leader of the First Order. And now you try to escape with the most important asset to the Resistance. How dare you.” Ben gently lowered Rey to the floor behind him, raising back up and grasping his lightsaber tightly. He knew there was no point now in defending himself. The men were always followers of Hux anyways. “I could kill you, you know. But I refuse to stoop to your level, killing the Supreme Leader to earn the title. So instead I’m going to use you as bait.” Hux paused to allow his words to sink in and give it a theatrical effect. That’s all this is to him anyways: a show. “Handcuff him and take them both to cell block 1138.” The highest ranking stormtrooper began charging forwards immediately and replied “yes, Supreme Leader.” Flipping his gun to stun mode, the stormtrooper strode towards Ben Solo. Ben easily flung the blaster from his grasp with the force. It skidded across the polished floor. Four more stormtroopers stepped forwards to flank the other. The charged atmosphere was only broken by the sound of a red light saber igniting. It was Ben’s favorite part of a battle. Neither party knew who would win. The force crackled in the air around him, giving him an intoxicating surge of energy. Each side waits for the other to make a move. The stormtroopers move first, pulling out their blasters to fire on Ben. He deflects each bullet with a practiced ease. “Capture him!” Came Hux’s shrill cry. More stormtroopers advanced and began firing on Ben. He made it a priority to deflect the lower shots that were aimed at Rey, allowing a few to slip through and graze his upper arm and shoulder. The onslaught of firing stopped abruptly when one shot struck him in the thigh. The mighty Ben Solo, former Supreme Leader, Master of the Nights of Ren, and Kylo Ren, fell to his knees. A stormtrooper pressed a blaster to his sweat covered forehead while another handcuffed him. Ben Solo had failed.


	4. Cellmates

—  
Rey  
—  
The last thing Rey remembers was a gloved hand coming down to strike her. A throbbing pain in her head is the first thing she becomes aware of. There’s also an unbelievable warmth pressed against her back. Turning gently, Rey discovers that Ben is the source of warmth. His face is uncharacteristically sweet as he sleeps peacefully. His full lips are slightly parted and a dark tendril of hair lays across his face. Rey reaches up, slowly moving the tendril out of his beautiful face. Ben’s eyes flutter open. He gazes deeply at Rey with a look of adoration. “Watching me while I was sleeping, were you?” A rosy blush bloomed on her cheeks. When Rey looked back up at him, a completely different expression was on his face. He stared at where she suspected her bruises were already forming, pain and anger evident all over his face. In an attempt to comfort him, Rey intertwined her hand with his. “What happened?” Instead of using words, Ben offered the information through his mind. Rey greedily accepted it. So Hux had gotten exactly what he wanted. “Is your thigh ok?” Rey could see where the shot had hit, singeing away some of his pants. “I’m fine. It hurts to walk, which could be a problem for our escape. But I’ll survive.” Rey’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll carry you out of here if I have to.” They both giggled at the image in her head of Rey carrying Ben, and for the first time Rey saw a smile spread across Ben’s face. Dimples flanked either side of his lips. Her heart stuttered a little. It was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. And it was hers. He had smiled for her. They gazed into each other’s eyes before reality set in for Rey. “Where are Chewbacca and BB8?” She began to incessantly worry. “I have no idea. You were the only thing on my mind.” Ben tried to absorb some of her worry. He wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. It was then that the cell door burst open.   
—   
Ben  
—  
Standing in the doorway was an old friend that he knew hated him now. Chewbacca roared angrily, charging towards the pair. He shoved them apart from their embrace. “Chewy! Chewbacca! Stop!” Rey struggled against his hairy arm. “Stop Chewy it’s Ben! He’s not Kylo Ren anymore it’s Ben!” Chewy paused his roaring and looked Ben over, as if there would be some physical transformation from Kylo becoming Ben again. “It’s really me, Chewy. I’ve missed you.” Chewy enveloped Ben in a death gripping hug. Ben hugged him back as hard as he could. Chewy was his childhood best friend. He wouldn’t have made it through that time in his life without him. Rey looked on with a grin. Chewy is the only one who could dwarf Ben. BB8 began spewing beeps without pause and Rey struggled to keep up. “You copied codes from what? Broke out of your cell? What?” BB8 continued beeping. Rey looked over to Chewy and Ben. “He’s right. We need to go now. I’m sure Chewy’s roaring alerted everyone.” The four of them raced out of the cell, with BB8 and Rey taking the lead and Chewy helping Ben along on his injured leg. BB8 led them through the maze of corridors, pausing at each cross section to make sure it was clear. The dreadnaught was quiet and empty feeling. It was eery. Rey’s senses were on high alert. She startled at every small motion or droid they came across. Finally the four of them made it to an overhang overlooking the ship bay. There was easy access to First Order TIE-fighters from the area. Rey started towards one. “We’ll have to split up. Chewy and I in one ship and you and BB8 in another.” Ben huffed as he struggled to keep up on his injured leg, even with Chewy’s help. “Are you kidding me? We’re taking my ship. We won’t have to split up. And I’m not leaving without my ship.” Rey struggled not to roll her eyes at her irrational doofus. “Ok mister ‘let the past die,’ let’s just walk in plain sight over to your ship and fly off into the sunset. No. No way. We have more important things to think about than your ship right now, like our survival.” Ben clenched his fists in anger. He adored the girl, but she was really pushing his buttons. He didn’t appreciate her impression of him either. He did not sound like that. Their bickering was interrupted by the sound of a larger ship coming in for landing and the orderly stomping of boots as stormtroopers marched in. Ben and Rey peered down as the scene unfolded before them. General Hux strode forwards, flanked by several high ranking stormtroopers. The landing ramp of the ship extended downwards. Out walked the leader of the Resistance. Leia Organa.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter was sorta short but I like ending them with cliff hangers ;) I’m struggling with where to take the story but I’ll try to keep writing.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! I’m new to this and writing in general so if you have any critiques or suggestions tell me. More to come!


End file.
